we just heard from stephanie cutter there. quite a precarious time for the obama campaign. he's beginning to get momentum, he stretched ahead now in most of the swing states. he's perceived now to have the advantage, to be almost the favorite going into that debate. i would rather be the underdog on that first debate, wouldn't you? >> well, that's great advice for mitt romney. i actually thought that stephanie cutter was lowering expectations for the president. she likely agrees with your assessment, piers, in that she already ceded that mitt romney is a good debater, he certainly showed that in florida and during the primaries, he's a great debater. he put away the race there, really. and that underdogs usually get on the stage with the president of the united states, they feel that vibe, they're at parity and i think she basically broadcasting it's okay and we expect it if the underdog wins here. but here's what i think has to happen for mitt romney. he needs to bring this race back to a referendum on obama. it was a referendum on president obama for awhile as any re-elec